


Calling for Help

by jacquelee



Series: Half A Moon 2021 [13]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29410446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquelee/pseuds/jacquelee
Summary: After Nate's visit, Sophie knows she needs to do something, so she calls up a friend.My take on the call Tara received from Sophie in episode 2x9 The Lost Heir Job, asking her to help the crew out.
Relationships: Tara Cole & Sophie Devereaux
Series: Half A Moon 2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138847
Kudos: 2
Collections: Half a Moon: 14 Days of Celebrating Women





	Calling for Help

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [halfamoon](https://halfamoon.dreamwidth.org) for the Tarot card prompt Queen of Swords (with the definition: Independent, unbiased judgement, clear boundaries, direct communication).

After Nate had left, Sophie sat down to process what he had said, what the implications of it were. One thing was clear to her, she wasn't ready to go back. Not yet. But him appearing at her doorstep had been a wake up call of sorts. She had been genuinely terrified that one of the team was dead, or seriously injured at best. And she only now realized that maybe that was because ever since she'd left, she had been worried for them near constantly. 

Which obviously hadn't particularly gotten made better by Hardison getting kidnapped on his first attempt of playing the grifter. She knew that leaving had been the right thing to do for her and she wouldn't take it back, but she hadn't just left her current alias, she had left her friends, her crew without a vital part of their team.

Knowing she needed to do something about that, she got up from the sofa again and instead sat at the table, opening her laptop and pulling up facetime. The time difference between London and the US vaguely occurred to her but she was so anxious that she discarded it, calling a number she knew very well even though she hadn't used it in a while.

It took far too long for her liking but eventually, a sleepy and clearly grumpy Tara appeared on the screen, lighting up a tiny little bit when she recognized who was calling.

"Sophie? This better be an emergency, do you know what time it is? Wait, where are you?"

"Good morning to you too." Tara rolled her eyes at that. "I'm sorry I'm calling so early, I'm in London and you know, timezones…"

She waved a little, trying to be funny, but Tara could clearly read that she was preoccupied with something, because she frowned questioningly.

"Soph, is everything okay? If it is an emergency, I'll help but I'm in Virginia right now, I don't know what I could do from here. I have some contacts in the UK I could put you in contact with, if that'll help."

"No, I, I need your help but not here. In Boston, actually, so Virginia is great. You remember that favor you owe me?"

"Yes."

Tara drew the word out, now that the threat of an immediate emergency was off the table, clearly getting somewhat suspicious.

"I need you to go to a bar in Boston tomorrow morning at 10am to meet a new client with Nate Ford and to work with his crew. Just temporary, not forever, but they need a grifter and you're the best I know. Apart from me of course. I will email you the specifics and I'll write you a letter to give to Nate so that he'll accept you. And I'll tell you the things you need to know about his crew, they are all really great people, I'm sure you'll love them."

There was a moment of silence and Sophie was starting to worry that she was asking too much of her friend but then Tara frowned and tilted her head, a sign that she wasn't impressed but also not completely unreceptive.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You want me to drop everything and to replace you in your crew? In Boston? Tomorrow morning? Sophie, you know I need prep time, I need more information, I need-"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry to drop this on you, but they really need a grifter and they're the best, you'll fit right in. And it's not to replace me anyways, I'm coming back," for a second, Sophie hesitated, pushing the question aside who she was trying to convince of that, Tara or herself. She took a deep breath and continued: "I just need some me time right now and I need to know they're in good hands. And you're the best."

"Yes, besides you, you've said that. And I do owe you that favor."

"Yes, you do."

"Okay, if I'm going to do this, I need all the information you can give me. Everything. And I mean both on the crew and that new client."

"Of course. I don't have much information on the client." Sophie looked at the papers Nate had handed her earlier together with the plane ticket and sure enough there were some names and some bullet points. "But I'll give you what I have and I can tell you what you need to know about the crew right now. The person you'll meet first is Nate Ford, he runs the crew. He's-"

"Wait, wait, that Nate Ford wouldn't happen to be Nathan Ford? As in that insurance guy you've been playing cat and mouse with for a decade and who now finally decided that it's better to play the other side and is running a ruthless crew out of Boston? That Nate?"

Sophie barely restrained from rolling her eyes. 

"Yes, that Nate, but his crew isn't ruthless, we're more like, you know, modern Robin Hoods, using high tech methods to help the little guy. It's actually really rewarding work."

Tara scoffed and raised her eyebrows.

"If you say so. But I'm getting paid right? I know I owe you that favor, but if you want me to work for them I need it to be work."

"Sure, yes, he will pay you. Of course. There's always enough money to go around."

"Well, then. Tell me about the other members of this crew."

"There's Parker. She's-"

"Parker? The Parker? Are you kidding me?" 

"She's the best thief I've ever met."

"Yeah, and also batshit. If only half of the stories I heard are true I'd be worried being in a room alone with her. Or at least on a rooftop."

At that, Sophie let out a laugh.

"That is probably not unwarranted, but really, she's adorable. Once you understand her, or at least sort of understand what she is all about, she's actually really great to be around. As long as you stick to anything to do with heists or alarm systems or rappels, you're gonna be fine."

"Great. I'm taking your word for it. Now I'm dreading who else you have on that crew of yours."

Again, Sophie laughed. She found she really liked talking about her crew.

"Alec Hardison. Hacker. He's just sitting in his van most of the time, drinking soda and talking your ear off. But he does wonders with technology, we'd be completely lost without him. Don't tell him I said that though, can't let him think I'm going soft. When it comes to grifts, he tends to go a little overboard, he needs a bit of reigning in every now and then. That's mainly why I'm calling you, he tried to grift on their last job and he got kidnapped. By Russians."

"Russians? Really? Well, that's bad. They got out of that unscathed?" Sophie nodded and Tara seemed impressed. "Then they truly must be good." 

"Like I said, the best. Eliot, he's the hitter, he comes off as a rough guy who doesn't talk much, especially not about feelings and those kinds of things, but he's really a softie with a heart of gold. And a fantastic cook. And he's always there when anyone needs him, even when he might grump about it. He cares a lot."

Thinking of Eliot and of the others made Sophie smile warmly and a little melancholy, which Tara obviously picked up on. 

"Are you sure you don't want to just go back to them? You seem to miss them."

"I do. I really do, but, it's complicated."

"Because of Nate Ford."

Damn, Tara always had been far too perceptive for her own good. And for Sophie's. But then again, that's what made her such a great grifter.

"No. Okay, maybe. Yes. Nate. The mastermind. He's brilliant when it comes to plans, his contingencies have contingencies. When he starts a con, he always sees it through, one way or another. He's never lost, not since we've been working together at least. But that's made him arrogant, cocky. He thinks he can control everything. And if he can't, he just crawls into the bottle and it gets even worse."

"Wait, he has an alcohol problem?"

"He does, but he's sober, at least he was when I left."

"Great. This keeps getting better and better."

"Tara. Please."

"Yes, yes, I'll do it, I will. Tell me about this client I'm meeting tomorrow."

Sophie read off the papers she was still holding.

"Rose Walton. Runs a charity and apparently this is about a man, Bennett Kimball, who was going to leave his estate to her but whose lawyer laughed her out of his office and refused to even let her see him. Seems like a great guy. The case is going to probate court in a few days."

"So, what's the play going to be, con the lawyer into giving her the money anyways? Good luck with that."

"I don't know yet, I didn't get that far. But I'm sure whatever Nate is planning, you'll execute it perfectly. You always do."

"Flattery is not going to make this better."

"Can't hurt either though, can it?"

Tilting her head in agreement, Tara laughed at that, and Sophie joined in.

"Alright then, I'll prepare everything I need and I'll be there tomorrow morning."

"Thank you Tara. I mean it."

"But after this we're square, right? I don't owe you anything anymore?"

"Yes. Take care of them and the favor is repaid in full."

"Sophie, are you sure you're alright? You still seem off."

Sophie let out a dry laugh.

"I know. That's why I'm here in the first place. I need to find out where I'm standing. Who I am. You know."

"That's a dangerous line of thinking for our kind." Sophie huffed and smiled a little but didn't answer and after a moment Tara let it go. "Okay then, I'd better get going if I want to join a new crew tomorrow morning. I'll hear from you again, right?"

"Of course. You can always call me."

They said their goodbyes and Sophie hung up. She took a deep breath. Now then, that was done. She only had to write that letter to Nate still, asking him to give Tara a chance.

At least now she didn't have to worry so much about her friends' wellbeing anymore. They would be in good hands.


End file.
